It's still quite cold in Ottawa. So, are you in the mood for some delicious hot chocolate? In my view, if you're seeking to get the best hot chocolate in Ottawa, here's what you do. Go to Lansdowne Park. More specifically, go to Lindt in Lansdowne Park, and ask for the 'intense dark hot chocolate'. If you can find a better hot chocolate in Ottawa, please tell me.This hot chocolate is rich, smooth and flavourful. It boasts the same high quality dark chocolate t

Date: 03 March, 2018.
Place: Sault Ste. Marie, Province of Ontario, Canada.
Early this month, a very strange event was reported in the small city of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.
According to an anonymous testimony published on Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) online database, a local resident allegedly saw two star-like objects hovering over the Canadian town.
“I was looking the stars with the naked eye, since the night was very, very clear. I was looking at the Big Dipper, and I noticed that t

The world remembers Stephen Hawking (1942-2018) as Physicist philosopher, the cosmos hero who wrote a worldwide publishing phenomenon A Brief History of Time. Professor Hawking entered Cambridge University in 1962 and embarked on the research project of theoretical physics, cosmology and elementary particles. "To me, mathematics is just a tool with which to do physics" and while making a mention of egg and chicken formulae Hawking writes Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Did the Universe

Self-Publishing : the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

What do you think when you see a book that has been self-published? Do
you see it as freedom from the tyranny of mercenary big business
publishers? Or do you assume it will be a shoddy piece of work?

Self-publishing can mean either freedom or a license for
mediocrity. The main part of my "day job" is working with small press
titles, and I have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. This article
will look at the reasons for and against self-publishing, and some of
the problems to avoid if you want to be taken seriously.

Why Self-Publish?
Self-publishing is the wave of the future. As publishers merge, and
grow closer to one huge publishing house, it becomes harder and harder
for new authors to get anything published. You may need to self-publish
if you have a controversial title, a niche title, a quality title that
is not likely to make a lot of money, or are just plain unknown.

Also, publishing from home as never been easier or less
expensive. Marketing has also become much easier using the Internet,
and so has selling. If you have a message, and are willing to do
whatever it takes to get it out, self-publishing may be for you.
Besides, you get to keep more of the profits!

Why Not Self-Publish?
Self-publishing requires a lot more work. You have to do the writing,
proofing, printing, publishing, marketing, and selling of your title.
You are alone responsible for whether it succeeds or fails. If you are
not willing to learn all about the business side of writing, then
self-publishing is not for you.

Self-published books run into particular problems that make them
look amateurish. These fall into two broad categories, the writing
itself, and the book as a physical object.

Problems With The Writing

Lack of an editor. You must be especially careful when
self-editing. Learn to be ruthless with your prose. Nothing gives
self-publishing such a bad name as books that read like a first draft.

Lack of purpose. Don't write something so vague that no one
can figure out whether it's fiction or non-fiction. You think this is
rare or an exaggeration? Not at all, unfortunately. The first way
books are categorized is into fiction or non-fiction. You can't be
listed both places! So make it easy for the retailer to know which your
book is.

Subject is too cute (talks on life from my poodle; everything I
needed to know I learned from my begonia). This can work for writers
who are using this to get at deeper truths, but too many self-published
books stop at the surface.

Only written to cash in on the latest craze. Currently,
channeled books, either from the dead or from aliens are a hot topic.
Books on stress relief, eastern religions/alternate spirituality,
miracle diets or minerals, exercise, quality of life, leadership in
business and fly-fishing continue to roll in every day. If you are
going to write on any of these topics, make sure you actually have
something important to say that has not already been said by dozens of
others.

Presenting yourself as an expert when it soon becomes obvious
you have done no research, or presenting your opinions as facts. This
will lose you credibility more quickly than almost anything else.

Don't know your audience. "My book is for everybody" simply
means you don't have a clue. No book is for everyone. Is it for
housewives? For those who feel stressed out? For the cancer patient?
For dog lovers? For those seeking a new way of life? Figure out your
audience and write for them.

Don't know the age range for a children's book. Age ranges are
0-3, 4-8, 9-12, 12+. These are industry standard ranges, corresponding
roughly to baby/infant, beginning readers, intermediate readers, and
young adult. Even if you feel that the appeal of your book stretches
from 3 to 93, you need to be able to say the age that will be most
interested.

Problems With The Book As A Physical Object

Not enough white space. Don't try to save money by crowding lots of
words on a page. It not only looks unprofessional, but is also
difficult to read.

Poor font selection--too small, too light or too dark for ease
of reading. Choose one of the "normal fonts" for your book, to make it
easy to read.

Title not obvious on the cover. Make it clear which are your
title, your subtitle, and the author name. It can be hard to figure
out, particularly if there is no title page.

Price out of line with other books on the topic. You don't
want to price it too high, but it needs to be high enough that you can
offer at least a 50% discount to retailers (or wholesalers). Look for
your kinds of books either in a brick and mortar store, or online, and
price accordingly.

Tacky or out of focus pictures either on the cover, or of the
author on the back. Using pictures obviously done on a copy machine.

Cover not appropriate for the kind of book it is. Again, check
out bookstores to see what covers are on the same kind of books.
Better, check the new titles area for ideas of the current trends in
cover art.

If You Are A Serious Writer, You Will:

an International Standard Book Number and know how to use it and
how to display it on your book. ISBNs are distributed and sold by R. R. Bowker

your cover designed professionally, unless your book needs
nothing more than words on the cover (specific how-to books, for
instance, or pamphlets) or unless your book is intended for those who
will appreciate a cover drawn by your 7 year old grandson. Be cautious
about using clip art. It may not be free for use in a for-profit
situation.

able to describe your book in a sentence or two--especially if
you are listing online. "I wrote this to alert people to the dangers of
alien spacecraft parked under Mount Rainier. We must learn what these
aliens want and how to protect ourselves!" "I have fished Thompson's
Creek for forty years and know the best spots, the best lures, and the
best time of the day, month, and year. Fly fishing is an art--let me
teach you how!" This will be invaluable for those who are categorizing
your title.

informed about self-publishing options. Read some books on the
subject. You can find reviews for a few of the newer self-publishing
books here.

Be savvy about marketing, realizing you have to send out copies
for free to certain people and organizations who will be writing
reviews or performing some other service for you.

Know when to push, and when to give it a rest. Be enthusiastic
about your own book but still remember it is one of millions out there.
Remember also that the retailer or wholesaler may see hundreds of new
titles a week, and cannot possible be as enthusiastic about your book as
you are--so don't expect him or her to be.

Be able to use the computer effectively in marketing. The fact
that you are retired and computer illiterate is not an excuse. You can
learn how to use a computer, or hire someone to do it for you--one of
your grandchildren might be thrilled to help out this way. But if you
intend to do more than sell your book to family and friends or down at
the corner store, you need to be, or have someone who is, computer
literate.

Does all this sound frightening? Cheer up, it's not as bad as it
seems. Take the process one step at a time, and you can publish a book
that is as good and useful as any done by the big publishers. But
remember that a self-published writer needs to be even more careful to
make their books read and look professional, and the success rests
entirely on you. Best of luck, whichever way you decide to go!